With 210 career tries to his name, Alex Johnston is just three away from etching his name in the history books, poised to break the 52-year-old all-time try record held by Manly legend Ken Irvine.
Over 12 seasons in the NRL, Johnston has established himself as one of the competition’s most lethal finishers, scoring 16 career hat-tricks and earning back-to-back Dally M Top Tryscorer Awards in 2020 and 2021.
As the South Sydney star edges closer to the historic milestone, he admits he has already pictured the dream scenario for the ultimate celebration.
The 29-year-old told the Daily Telegraph he envisions thousands of fans pouring onto the field, sharing in what he hopes will be a truly unforgettable celebration of his record-breaking feat.
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“I am expecting people to storm the field. I definitely think it’s going to happen, particularly if it is in Sydney,” Johnston told the media publication.
“I’m not telling people to do it but speaking to fans, they’re all saying they’re going to do it anyway, they say they are storming the field. From a fan’s point of view, I definitely think it should happen and I want it to happen – to have everyone running at you.”
The South Sydney Rabbitohs and the NRL have made it clear that pitch invasions are strongly discouraged when Johnston breaks the record, but the 30-year-old winger said the atmosphere would be unforgettable and something the league should be ready for.
“I’m not telling fans to definitely do it but it would be a massive moment and I think the NRL and Souths need to be prepared for it. They need to obviously make sure there’s a plan to get the play (started again) and a bit of security there because I think it’s going to happen,” he said.
“I am picturing everyone storming the field and lifting me up on their shoulders – this has all gone through my head. I’m excited for it to happen – it will be pretty special.
“I can understand why Souths and the NRL don’t want it to happen but if I was a rugby league fan and a young kid, particularly a Souths fan, and one of your players is about to do something like that, I’d be excited to go to every game waiting for it to happen, and when I does, I would be sprinting on the field.
“From a selfish standpoint, I think it would be pretty cool to embrace it and have everyone celebrate with me. When things calm down, I will probably try and find my family so they can be among the excitement and I can enjoy it with them.”
Johnston pointed to Buddy Franklin’s famous 1000th AFL goal at the SCG in 2022, which triggered a fan invasion and became one of the most iconic sporting moments in recent memory.
“Even though I’m not a massive AFL fan, everyone saw the footage of him kicking his 1000th goal,” he stated.
“Everyone stormed the field and (we saw) how big a moment it was. Those scenes were crazy. It took an hour to get things back on track so they could play again. To be compared to that moment, and people wanting to do the same thing, it’s pretty cool.”